Lemaire wants team to end its up-and-down performances

The coach is getting frustrated seeking a consistent effort.

By KENT YOUNGBLOOD, Star Tribune

Last update: December 29, 2007 - 12:16 AM

There is a reason why the Wild has had such a difficult time against top teams of late, according to coach Jacques Lemaire:

"I don't think we're good enough to be a top team in the NHL right now," Lemaire said before practice Friday.

Just like that, short and sweet. The Wild -- which has won six of its past 10 games -- was fifth in the Western Conference before Friday night's games. But those four losses -- two to Detroit, one each against San Jose and Dallas -- point out the problem.

The Wild was outscored 21-5 in those four games.

Lemaire said he still is looking for more consistency, a process that appears a little frustrating.

"You can have pretty much the same players from one year to the next, but the season won't be the same," Lemaire said. "Look at last year. We went on stretches, many good games, then huge drops."

This season? Lemaire sees a team that is up and down from one night to the next.

"We have a team where, when we get beat badly, they respond, they come back and play hard," Lemaire said, pointing to Thursday's 3-2 victory in Phoenix a night after an 8-3 loss in Dallas. "This is the team we've been showing this year. And when we play really well we have a tendency to slow it down, get comfortable with the wins and not play as good as we can."

Lemaire isn't ready to blame the loss on Mikko Koivu's leg injury, which has kept him out of the lineup for a month and a half. "I can't say that, because Detroit missed two of their top players [Henrik Zetterberg and Tomas Holmstrom] and they still did what they had to do against us," he said.

"This year it's different, because we hit these teams when they're at their best," Lemaire continued. "Every time we hit them they're at their best. When we played San Jose [a 4-1 loss Dec. 11] they were at their best. When we played Detroit [a 5-0 loss Dec. 7 and a 4-1 loss at home Dec. 22] they've been at their best all year. Dallas, they were at their best. ... If we play our best game against them, then maybe the score would be 4-3, 3-2, and then you have a chance."

So what will that take?

"You need a little more from everyone," Lemaire said. "Starting goalie, defense, everyone. We have to stay in the game, that's one thing. You have to be close, so you can get a chance to win."

Center Eric Belanger said a good bit of the problem might be in the players' heads.

"I don't know if it's preparation or if we're looking at their players, or what they're doing, too much, instead of focusing on what we need to do as a team," Belanger said. "You have to respect other teams, but if you focus too much on them, you forget about the abilities you have."

Brian Rolston doesn't claim to have the answer, but he knows this: At its best, the Wild can play with just about any team.

"But we have to be at our best, our very best, to beat a team like Detroit," Rolston said. "I don't know why we haven't been there yet for all our games."

Koivu improves

Since taking a short break at Christmas, Koivu has gotten in a succession of good skating sessions. On Thursday he skated for 40 minutes. On Friday, nearly an hour.

Koivu said he finally is able to push off his left leg, which sustained a cracked bone when Vancouver Canucks defenseman Mattias Ohlund hit him with his stick on Nov. 16. "Every day I feel stronger," Koivu said.

But he's not 100 percent yet.

"I still feel it, it's not normal," Koivu said. "But compared to what it was a week ago, it's a lot better."

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